Search

Several environmental and genetic factors affect the isoflavone and anthocyanin contents in soybeans. This study aimed to assess the influences of cotyledon color and harvest period on the contents of five major isoflavones and three major anthocyanins in 323 black soybean landraces grown in Korea. In all the soybeans, malonylgenistin, malonyldaidzin and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside were the foremost components. The total isoflavone (TIC) and total anthocyanin (TAC) contents were in the ranges of 491.29-1998.39 μg/g and 452.60-2789.37 mg/100 g on dry weight basis, respectively. Both the average TIC and TAC were higher in green cotyledon soybeans (1493.93 μg/g and 1656.05 mg/100 g, respectively) than in yellow cotyledon soybeans (1423.09 μg/g and 1489.30 mg/100 g, respectively). With respect to the harvest period, the average TIC was in the order of Late-October (1517.31 μg/g) > Mid-October (1454.54 μg/g) > Early-October (1340.95 μg/g). Moreover, the average TAC decreased in the order of Late-October (1765.76 mg/100 g) > Mid-October (1503.93 mg/100 g) > Early-October (1350.91 mg/100 g). In general, cotyledon color appeared to cause a significant variation on TAC (P 1800 μg/g) and TAC (> 2000 mg/100 g) in their seeds and hence, could be considered as important sources of dietary isoflavones and anthocyanins. Besides, they possibly provide a wide spectrum of options if considered during the development of improved soybean genotypes.

Most previous studies have been focused on isoflavone profile with biological activities from soybean seed and its related products. However, in the present study, eighty-three flavonoid derivatives (55 flavonols, 9 flavones and 19 isoflavones) were comprehensively identified and quantified from young leaves of 21 core-collected soybean cultivars based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector with quadrupole time of flight/mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-QToF/MS). Among total flavonoids from soybean leaves (SLs), the abundant flavonols (83.6%) were primarily composed of di- and tri- glycosides combined to the aglycones (K, kaempferol; Q, quercetin; I, isorhamnetin). Particularly, K-rich SLs (yellow coated seed), Nongrim 51 (breeding line) and YJ208-1 (landrace) contained mainly kaempferol 3-O-(2″-O-glucosyl-6″-O-rhamnosyl)galactoside and 3-O-(2″,6″-di-O-rhamnosyl)galactoside, and were expected to be superior cultivars by their higher flavonoids. Besides, the new tri-I-glycosides (soyanins I–V) were presented as predominant components in Junyeorikong (landrace, black). Thus, this study suggest that the SLs can be considered as valuable edible resources due to their rich flavonoids. Also, these detailed profiles will support breeding of superior varieties with excellent biological activities as well as relationship with seed anthocyanins production, and contribute to perform metabolomics approach to investigate the changes of SLs flavonols during the leaf growth and fermentation in further research.

BACKGROUND: The mulberry cultivars ‘Daeshim’ and ‘Shimgang’ were developed in RDA in 2014 and 2017, respectively. ‘Daeshim’ yields a fruit size bigger than that of other varieties and has a productivity of over 70%, whereas ‘Shimgang’ has a high yield and a special characterization against the mulberry popcorn disease. In our study, a compositional comparison of these popular cultivars in Korea was undertaken to explore the nutrient profiles of mulberry fruit and promote the development of the rich minerals and flavonoids in mulberry fruit as performing each other irrigation time. METHODS AND RESULTS: These two cultivars were collected from the Sericulture and Apiculture Division, RDA, in Korea to investigate their amounts, weights, minerals, and flavonoid content using each other instrument. After 6 h of irrigation treatment, the amount of fruit (kg/tree) from Daeshim and Shimgang increased by 17.5 and 15.2 kg/tree, respectively. The total flavonoid content from Daeshim and Shimgang was determined to be 132.9 mg and 36.3 mg, respectively, after the 6 h irrigation treatment. CONCLUSION: Appropriate irrigation treatment methods such as water scheduling and volume will help increase fruit quantities and farmer incomes. It would be interesting to conduct further in-depth research on these fruits so that consumers can benefit from them as a food additive.

Metabolomics and in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory (AGI) activities of pepper leaves were used to identify bioactive compounds and select genotypes for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Targeted metabolite analysis using UPLC-DAD-QToF-MS was employed and identified compounds that belong to flavone and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives from extracts of pepper leaves. A total of 21 metabolites were detected from 155 samples and identified based on MS fragmentations, retention time, UV absorbance, and previous reports. Apigenin-O-(malonyl) hexoside, luteolin-O-(malonyl) hexoside, and chrysoeriol-O-(malonyl) hexoside were identified for the first time from pepper leaves. Pepper genotypes showed a huge variation in their inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase enzyme(AGE) ranging from 17% to 79%. Genotype GP38 with inhibitory activity of 79% was found to be more potent than the positive control acarbose (70.8%.). Orthogonal partial least square (OPLS) analyses were conducted for the prediction of the AGI activities of pepper leaves based on their metabolite composition. Compounds that contributed the most to the bioactivity prediction model (VIP >1.5), showed a strong inhibitory potency. Caffeoyl-putrescine was found to show a stronger inhibitory potency (IC50 = 145 µM) compared to acarbose (IC50 = 197 µM). The chemometric procedure combined with high-throughput AGI screening was effective in selecting polyphenols of pepper leaf for T2DM management.

Anthocyanins are major components of purple sweet potatoes (PSP) with antioxidant, anti-obesity, and antidiabetic activity. In this study, we evaluated the hypoglycemic effects of 12 individual anthocyanins purified from PSP (Korean variety Shinzami). We separated the anthocyanins using liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-ESI/MS). Three anthocyanins were selected through a radical scavenging activity test. We examined whether individual anthocyanins inhibited glucose secretion in HepG2 cells (hepatic gluconeogenesis). Additionally, we determined the effect of each anthocyanin on fasting blood glucose levels in 6-week-old male C57BL/6J mice fed a 60% high-fat diet for 14 weeks. Mice were evaluated at 0, 1, 2, and 4 h after oral administration of anthocyanins (80 mg/kg), an anthocyanin-rich-fraction (80 mg/kg), positive control (metformin, 80 mg/kg), and distilled water (control). Cyanidin 3-caffeoyl-p-hydroxybenzoylsophoroside-5-glucoside (PEAK9) was the main PSP anthocyanin that inhibited hepatic glucose secretion and reduced blood glucose.

The chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a food source that is rich in flavonoids such as luteolin and apigenin. Flavonoids are known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, however, studies on the flavonoids composition identified and the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in pepper leaves (PL) and fruits (PF) are insufficient. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro, and the flavonoids contents of the PL and PF. Pepper extracts showed radical scavenging activities and ameliorated the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory response by decreasing nitric oxide production and interluekin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels in RAW 264.7 cells, with more effective activities noted for PL than for PF. Furthermore, PL extracts markedly inhibited the LPS-induced production of reactive oxygen species accumulation. The flavonoid profile and content of pepper were dependent on the part, with PL showing higher total flavonoids than PF. In particular, the content of luteolin glycosides in PL was twice that in PF. Thus, PL may be useful to prevent oxidative stress and inflammation-related diseases.

Fermentation may enhance the nutritional properties of foods by increasing metabolite bioactivity or bioavailability. This study explored the effect of fermentation on isoflavone bioavailability and metabolism. Isoflavone metabolites were tracked in foods and biospecimens of healthy adults after fermented soybean (FS) or non-fermented soybean (NFS) consumption in a randomized, controlled, crossover intervention study. The change in soybean isoflavones caused by fermentation resulted in faster absorption and higher bioavailability after consumption of FS. Although the urinary level of total isoflavone metabolites was similar after the consumption of the two diets, urinary genistein 7-O-sulfate was derived as a discriminant metabolite for the FS diet by partial least squares discriminant analysis. This study suggests that an isoflavone conjugate profile might be a more appropriate marker than total isoflavone levels for discriminating between the consumption of FS and NFS diets.

Most previous studies have been focused on the variation of tea chemical composition by fermentative processes as well as different cultivars and regions. The detailed changes of flavonoid profiles were described for the first time by each processing step of green and black tea leaves in this study. A total of 24 flavonoid derivatives including catechins, theaflavins, and flavonols were separated and identified from the tea samples based on UPLC-DAD-QToF/MS data and constructed library. Among these, the fragmentation pathway of theaflavins was proposed specifically in positive ionization mode for structural interpretation. During leaf processing, the individual flavonols were changed as diverse patterns according to their aglycone types and glycosylated forms, but their total content showed a slight difference. EGCG and ECG were increased after roasting approximately twofold higher than that of fresh leaves (EGCG, 2709.5 →6085.6; ECG, 1548.0 →2318.2 mg/100 g dry weight, respectively) in green tea while considerably decreased their contents due to oxidation and conversion to theaflavins after fermentation during black tea processing. Especially, the drying steps also found to be factor to influence positively to increase the flavonoid contents in both tea processing. Therefore, this result indicated that detailed conditions of each processing step played important roles in changing the flavonoid profiles from tea leaves.

Zingiberaceae is the large diverse family comprised of rhizomatous plants with a higher concentration of phenolic compounds. The normal ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora Wall.) belongs to this family and have similar morphological characteristics of rhizome, but their phenolic composition revealed differently. On this study, the phenolic composition of normal ginger (from Ethiopia and Korea) and black gingers (from Korea and Thailand) were profiled using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector, quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC–DAD–QToF–MS). The result revealed that gingerol-related phenolic acid was detected only in normal gingers while, the methoxyflavones were identified exclusively in black gingers. 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol, 1-dehydro-6-gingerdione, and diacetoxy-8-gingerdiol were the major constituents among 18 phenolic acids detected from normal gingers, and 3,5,7,3′,4′-pentamethoxyflavone and 5,7,4′-trimethoxyflavone were confirmed as predominant constituents among 13 methoxyflavones from black gingers. The total phenolic content was 434.7 and 698.1 mg/100 g dry weight (DW) in Korean and Ethiopian sample, respectively. The total methoxyflavone concentration was 4388.0 mg/100 g DW and 3940.2 mg/100 g DW in Korean and Thai black ginger sample, respectively. The higher concentration of methoxyflavones is from advanced biosynthetic pathway related to accumulated color of black ginger. In addition, new possible structural fragmentation was proposed for gingerol homologous series as additional pathway under the positive ionization mode, and further rationalized that ferulic acid moiety is the biosynthetic precursor. The result suggested that despite the morphological similarity, normal and black ginger showed distinct biosynthetic difference to synthesis their major secondary metabolites.

Salvia plebeia R. Br. is a medicinal herb that contains important active compounds such as flavonoid and phenolic acid which are responsible for remarkable biological properties. The phenolic composition of S. plebeia was quantitatively investigated using ultra-performance liquid chromatograph coupled with photodiode array detection and quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry. A total of 16 flavonoids were classified into 10 flavones and 6 flavanones based on UV-spectra and ion fragmentation patterns. Individual flavonoids, including apigenin, luteolin, hispidulin, nepetin, and some flavanones, were glycosylated with glucose at the 5- or 7-position of flavonoid structure. The three major flavones were determined to be 6-hydroxyluteolin 7-O-glucoside [2,452.7 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)], hispidulin 7-O-glucoside (2,281.0 mg/100 g DW) and nepetin 7-O-glucoside (2,002.6 mg/100 g DW). The six flavanones containing the hydroxyl and methoxy groups were determined and, among them, 5,7,3′,4′- tetrahydroxy-6-methoxyflavanone 7-O-glucoside have the highest level (938.3 mg/100 g DW). Two hydroxyl flavanone glycosides, 5,6,7,3′,4′- pentahydroxyflavanone 7-O-glucoside and 5,6,7,4′- tetrahydroxyflavanone 7-O-glucoside, were presumed to be newly identified compounds, on the basis of the library data from S. plebeia. In addition, higher concentration of rosmarinic acid was also identified.

A total of thirty-four hydroxybenzoyl and hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives were identified and quantified from the tuberous roots of Korean sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivars based on ultra performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and quadrupole time of flight/mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-QToF/MS). From three colored cultivars (purple, yellow and white), caffeic acid (CA), 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA, chlorogenic acid) and 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,5-diCQA, isochlorogenic acid A) were confirmed as major components, and also three classes of hydroxycinnamoylquinic acid derivatives were tentatively identified for the first time from their tuberous roots: two diferuloylquinic acids (diFQAs: 3,5-diFQA, 4,5-diFQA), three dicaffeoyl-feruloylquinic acids (diC,FQAs: 3 F,4,5-diCQA, 3,5-diC,4 FQA, 3,4-diC,5FQA), two diferuloyl-caffeoylquinic acids (diF,CQAs: 3,4-diF,5CQA, 3C,4,5-diFQA). In particular, the novel p-hydroxybenzoylquinic acids (pHbQAs: 3-pHbQA, 4-pHbQA, 5-pHbQA) and vanilloylquinic acids (VQAs: 3-VQA, 4-VQA, 5-VQA) were only presented as the predominant components in purple sweet potato. In total content (mg/100 g, dry weight) of 34 derivatives, all cultivars showed the significant differences according to their tuberous sites and mainly di-hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives, were found to be higher in the peels (yellow, 211.0 > purple, 147.0 > white, 97.1) than inner parts (purple, 83.8 > yellow, 26.3 > white, 12.7). Furthermore, it is considered that the profile of these derivatives is closely related to the corresponding acylated anthocyanins and can be a fundamental report in selection and breeding of superior varieties which are expected to possess higher antioxidant activities.

Anthocyanin concentration and composition and the effect of steaming and baking on these were evaluated in tubers of Korean red- and purple-fleshed potato cultivars and breeding clones using liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-ESI-MS). Twenty-six anthocyanins were isolated, of which 24 were identified. Remarkably, five cis isomers were identified, of which four, viz., cis-petanin, cis-peonanin, petunidin 3-cis-caffeoylrutinoside-5-glucoside, and petunidin 3-cis-feruloylrutinoside-5-glucoside, are reported for the first time. Moreover, pelargonidin 3-p-coumaroylrutinoside-5-glucoside (pelanin), peonidin 3-p-coumaroylrutinoside-5-glucoside (peonanin) and petunidin 3-p-coumaroylrutinoside-5-glucoside (petanin) were identified as the principal anthocyanins. We found that the total anthocyanin content of coloured potatoes was decreased by steaming and baking compared with the raw state. In addition, we performed partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to discriminate between the analyzed anthocyanins. Cis isomers seemed to play a vital role as a biomarker in the PLS-DA model based on the type of processing and colour of the tubers.

The innate immune response is an important host primary defense system against pathogens. γ-Oryzanol is one of the nutritionally important phytoceutical components in rice bran oil. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of γ-oryzanol-rich extract from black rice bran (γORE) on the activation of the innate immune system. In this study, we show that γORE increased the expression of CD14 and Toll-like receptor 4 and enhanced the phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, γORE and its active ingredient γ-oryzanol promoted the secretion of innate cytokines, interleukin-8, and CCL2, which facilitate phagocytosis by RAW264.7 cells. These findings suggest that γ-oryzanol in the γORE enhances innate immune responses.

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 produces prostanoids, which contribute to inflammatory responses. Nuclear factor (NF)-κB is a key transcription factor mediating COX-2 expression. γ-Oryzanol is an active component in rice bran oil, which inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated COX-2 expression by inhibiting NF-κB. However, the inhibition of COX-2 expression by γ-oryzanol independently of NF-κB is poorly understood. We found that LPS upregulated Egr-1 expression at the transcriptional level. Forced expression of Egr-1 trans-activated the Cox-2 promoter independently of NF-κB. In contrast, silencing of Egr-1 abrogated LPS-mediated COX-2 expression. LPS produced reactive oxygen species (ROS), which, in turn, induced Egr-1 expression via the Erk1/2 MAPK pathway. ROS scavenging activity of γ-oryzanol suppressed Egr-1 expression by inhibiting the Erk1/2 MAPK pathway. Our results suggest that γ-oryzanol inhibits LPS-mediated COX-2 expression by suppressing Erk1/2-mediated Egr-1 expression. This study supports that γ-oryzanol may be useful for ameliorating LPS-mediated inflammatory responses.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • 57 phenolic acids were quantitatively detected in green & roasted coffee samples. • 9 hydroxycinnamoylquinic acid methyl esters were identified for the first time. • Mass fragmentation of hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives by UPLC-DAD-QToF-MS. • Moderate level of total phenolic content variation among the samples was observed. • Influence of processing condition and species showed discrimination by PLS-DA., The aim of this study was to quantitatively characterize 19 green and roasted coffee beans by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A total of 57 phenolic acids including nine methyl ester of mono-, di-caffeoylquinic acid, and feruloylquinic acid were identified. The methyl hydroxycinnamoyl quinates are reported for the first time from Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta. The total phenolic content ranged from 5628 ± 227 to 8581 ± 109 mg/100 g dry weight (DW) in green, and from 791 ± 63 to 1891 ± 37 mg/100 g DW roasted beans. The methyl caffeoylquinates accounted for 2.1% of the total phenolic acids. The result suggested that the phenolic composition was affected by the type of species, cultivars, and roasting process. Hence, to retain the balance between health beneficial phenolics and sensory attributes, optimization of roasting condition specific to the cultivar type substantially required.

Flavonoids, non-nutrient secondary metabolites of plants, are widely distributed in commonly consumed agro-food resources. Flavonoids include aglycones, and their glycosides are reported to have potential health-promoting compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate flavonoid glycosides in the fruit and leaves of Zizyphus jujuba var. inermis (Bunge) Rehder (jujube). A total of six flavonoids (five flavonols and one chalcone) were identified in jujube fruit and leaves by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry along with chemical library and an internal standard. In positive ion mode, six flavonoids were linked to the C- and O-glycosides which were conjugated with sugar moieties based on kaempferol, quercetin, and phloretin aglycones. Total flavonoid contents of leaves (8,356.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)) was approximately 900-fold higher than that of fruit (fresh fruit, 13.6 mg/100 g dry DW; sun-dried fruits, 9.2 mg/100 g dry DW). Quercetin 3-O-rutinoside (rutin) and quercetin 3-O-robinobioside were the predominant flavonols in fruit and leaves of jujube. In particular, rutin had the highest content (6,735.2 mg/100 g DW) in leaves, and rutin is a widely reported bioactive compound. Phloretin 3',5'-di-C-glucoside (chalcone type) was detected only in leaves. The leaves of jujube contain a high content of flavonoids and the results of this study indicate that jujube leaves may be a source of bioactive flavonoids.

In the present investigation, glucosinolate content was identified and quantified in 210 accessions of Korean leaf mustard (Brassica juncea var. integrifolia) by a liquid chromatography (LC) with electrospray ionization (ESI) coupled with a positive-mode ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS). Eleven individual GSLs including two new compounds were identified in the accessions using desulfo-glucosinolates (DS-GSLs) LC–MS library, and they were elucidated by interpreting the fragmentation data ([M + H-glucose]+) obtained. The newly identified GSLs contained aliphatic and hydroxyl functional group in their back bone were named as 1-ethyl-2-hydroxyethyl DS-GSLs (glucosisautricin) or 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl DS-GSLs (glucoconringiin) and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl DS-GSLs, respectively. Among all tested accessions, the total DS-GSLs content was found to be varied between 5.3 and 23.2 mg/g dry weight (DW) with an average of 13.0 mg/g DW in the germplasm. Each individual DS-GSLs component was found in decreasing order of sinigrin (41.7 %) >glucoiberverin (21.7 %) >gluconasturtiin (12.6 %) >glucobarbarin (10.0 %) >glucoiberin (5.1 %) >glucocheirolin (3.6 %) >glucobrassicanapin (2.6 %) >gluconapin (2.1 %), and >glucobrassicin (0.6 %). Interestingly, sinigrin and gluconasturtiin were present in higher content, and progoitrin was not detected significantly in the germplasm of Korean leaf mustard. In particular, accession K046197 (purple) was found to show highest total DS-GSL content (23.2 mg/g DW).

OBJECTIVES: Soy isoflavones are one of the best studied secondary plant metabolites for the last 30 years and associated with potential health benefits such as prevention of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and menopausal symptoms. The study aimed to identify isoflavone conjugated metabolites from human plasma and urine after dietary soybean meals using a targeted metabolomic approach and to investigate the effect of fermentation on bioavailability of soy isoflavones. METHODS: In the cross-over intervention design with 10 candidates (6 women and 4 men), standardized meals with fermented soybean (FS, Cheonggukjang, by Bacillus subtilis) and non-fermented soybean (NFS) were served over two weeks in two randomized groups. Flavonoid derivatives in each freeze-dried tested meal and isoflavone conjugated metabolites in plasma and urine collected before and after the consumption of each meal were evaluated by UPLC-DAD-QToF/MS. RESULTS: Twenty-two isoflavones, including genistein, daidzein, glycitein, and its glycosides, were identified in both tested meals. In particular, 6”-O-succinoyldadizin and 6”-O-succinoylgenistin produced newly as acylated forms with succinic acid in fermented process. Also, in levels of simple glycosidic forms (e.g., daidzin and genistin), the FS meal showed higher than NFS meal, which might be explained by the degradation of malonylglucosides during the fermentation. Fourteen metabolites conjugated with glucuronic acid and sulfuric acid were identified in plasma and urine, among them, genistein 4’,7-di-O-glucuronide and daidzein 7-O-glucuronide were confirmed as major metabolites in plasma and urine, respectively. The bioavailability was differentiated by personal characteristics after intake soy isoflavones, and it was considered that genistein class was more excellent as well as FS meal was more effective when compared to NFS meal on bioavailability. CONCLUSIONS: The results may contribute to not only understanding the potential health effects of fermented foods by modifying the bioavailability of soybean bioactive components but also application of other traditional foods related with fermentation. FUNDING SOURCES: This work was supported by the National Institute of Agricultural Science of Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

Koreans have been consuming Petasites Japonicus (PJ) as food. Although the therapeutic effect of PJ on allergic or inflammatory reactions associated with asthma has been proven, its effect on obesity is unclear. Therefore, the present study was aimed to assess the obesity related anti-inflammatory and anti-adipogenic effects of ethanol extract PJ (EPJ) on the inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 macrophages and on differentiation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In addition, the polyphenolic compound was quantitatively characterized from the EPJ using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector, quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-QToF-MS). In RAW 264.7 or 3T3-L1, reduction of nitric oxide (in macrophages) production as well as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and tumor necrosis factor-&alpha, were observed. Treatment of EPJ in adipocyte differentiation showed an improvement in adiponectin and lipid accumulation and a significant reduction of PPAR&gamma, and FABP-4 mRNA expression levels. On the other hand, mRNA expression of UCP-1, PPAR&alpha, and ACO increased in the EPJ treated group. In addition, a total of 26 polyphenolic compounds were detected and of which 12 are reported for the first time from PJ. The higher content of diverse polyphenolic compounds presented in EPJ might be responsible for the observed anti-inflammatory and anti-adipogenic effect. These results suggest that PJ is valuable in improving obesity-related inflammatory responses.

We investigated the effect and molecular mechanism of 24-MCF-induced PPAR-γ2 on angiogenesis-related genes in MCF7 cells. cDNA microarray, semi-quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, and western blotting revealed that 24-MCF mediated the expression of genes related to angiogenesis in MCF-7 cells. Luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that promoter activation of the LIF gene, an anti-angiogenesis factor, was increased upon PPAR-γ2 overexpression and 24-MCF treatment, whereas activation of HoxA7 and VEGF promoters, known pro-angiogenesis factors, decreased upon PPAR-γ2 overexpression and 24-MCF treatment. We identified PPAR-response elements (PPRE) located in the VEGF (-913 to +1), HoxA7 (-1107 to +1), and LIF promoter regions (-9032 to -8403). VEGF promoter activity was abolished by mutation of the PPRE motif. Treatment with 24-MCF inhibited expression of VEGF and inhibited the Akt/mTOR pathway. Treatment with 24-MCF also decreased VEGF secretion in MCF7 cells and PMA-stimulated tube formation in HUVECs. Our findings suggest that 24-MCF induces PPAR-γ2-mediated regulation of anti-angiogenesis via PPRE motifs in VEGF, HoxA7, and LIF promoters or upstream regions. Furthermore, 24-MCF treatment inhibits angiogenesis by blocking VEGF secretion.

The total flavonoids in leaves of 12 varieties of Korean mulberry (Morus alba L.) were determined. Seventeen flavonoids were isolated and analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC–DAD–QTOF/MS). To determine the flavonoid contents, HPLC analysis was performed on these 17 flavonoids. The total flavonoid contents of the 12 varieties of mulberry leaves ranged from 748.5 to 1297.9 mg, with the highest obtained from the Cheong Su variety (1297.9 ± 112.0 mg). Among the 17 flavonoids analyzed, quercetin 3-O-rutinoside (rutin) and quercetin 3-O-glucoside (isoquercitrin) had highest contents in the Cheong Su variety. Furthermore, the Dae Dang Sang variety gave the highest quercetin 3-O-rutinoside (rutin) content among the mulberry leaves investigated, at 425.5 ± 45.9 mg. Major flavonols from Dae Dang Sang were detected by UPLC–DAD–QTOF/MS. A total of 17 flavonoid compound peaks were identified in the analysis time range of 5–40 min, all of which were kaempferol and quercetin glycosides. Seven of the 17 compounds identified in mulberry leaves were unknown.

Parvin-β is an adaptor protein that binds to integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and is significantly downregulated in breast tumors and breast cancer cell lines. We treated the breast cancer cell line MCF7 with 24-methylenecycloartanyl ferulate (24-MCF), a γ-oryzanol compound. We observed upregulation of parvin-β (GenBank Accession No. AF237769) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ2 (GenBank Accession No. NM_015869). Among γ-oryzanol compounds, only treatment with 24-MCF led to the formation of reverse transcription-PCR products of parvin-β (650 and 500 bp) and PPAR-γ2 (580 bp) in MCF7 cells, but not in T47D, SK-BR-3, or MDA-MB-231 cells. 24-MCF treatment increased the mRNA and protein levels of parvin-β in MCF7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. We hypothesized that there is a correlation between parvin-β expression and induction of PPAR-γ2. This hypothesis was investigated by using a promoter-reporter assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. 24-MCF treatment induced binding of PPAR-γ2 to a peroxisome proliferator response element-like cis-element (ACTAGGACAAAGGACA) in the parvin-β promoter in MCF7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. 24-MCF treatment significantly decreased anchorage-independent growth and inhibited cell movement in comparison to control treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide. 24-MCF treatment reduced the levels of GTP-bound Rac1 and Cdc42. Evaluation of Akt1 inhibition by 24-MCF revealed that the half maximal effective concentration was 33.3 μM. Docking evaluations revealed that 24-MCF binds to the ATP-binding site of Akt1(PDB ID: 3OCB) and the compound binding energy is -8.870 kcal/mol. Taken together, our results indicate that 24-MCF treatment increases parvin-β expression, which may inhibit ILK downstream signaling.

BACKGROUND: Soy isoflavones, structurally similar to endogenous estrogens, may affect human body through both hormonally mediated and non-hormonally related mechanisms. Heat processing could change chemical compositions. The effects of different thermal processes, boiling and HTHP(high temperature and high pressure) on the composition of isoflavone compounds and total amount of domestic soybeans were investigated in this study. METHOD AND RESULTS: Three different kinds of soybean samples were collected from RDA-Genebank. The samples were extracted using methanol, distilled water, and formic acid based solvent. Also the same solvents were used for mobile phase in UPLC/ToF/MS. All of the isoflavone compounds were analyzed based on the aglycone type of external standard for quantification. The standard calibration curve presented linearity with the correlation coefficient R2 > 0.98, analysed from 1 to 50 ppm concentration. The total isoflavone contents does not change by treatment within the same breed. While "boiling" and "HTHP" processes tend to increase the contents of aglycone and -glucosides, "fresh" soybeans retained the high concentration of malonylglucosides. CONCLUSION: These results have to be considered while developing an effective functional food, from the health while point of view using soybeans.

In the present report, the effects of blanching, steaming, and high temperature/high pressure processing (HTHP) on the amino acid contents of commonly consumed Korean root vegetables, leaf vegetables, and pulses were evaluated using an Automatic Amino Acid Analyzer. The total amino acid content of the samples tested was between 3.38 g/100 g dry weight (DW) and 21.32 g/100 g DW in raw vegetables and between 29.36 g/100 g DW and 30.55 g/100 g DW in raw pulses. With HTHP, we observed significant decreases in the lysine and arginine contents of vegetables and the lysine, arginine, and cysteine contents of pulses. Moreover, the amino acid contents of blanched vegetables and steamed pulses were more similar than the amino acid contents of the HTHP vegetables and HTHP pulses. Interestingly, lysine, arginine, and cysteine were more sensitive to HTHP than the other amino acids. Partial Least Squares-Discriminate Analyses were also performed to discriminate the clusters and patterns of amino acids.

국내외 75점의 흰색 및 자색 양파 유전자원으로부터 총 5종의 flavonol 배당체(Q34'diG, Q3G, Q4'G, I4'G, Q)를 분리 동정하였다. 양파 내 존재하는 flavonol 배당체는 aglycone인 quercetin 및 isorhamnetin에 하나 또는 두 개의 glucose가 결합된 형태로 검출되었다. 총 flavonol 함량 범위는 흰색 양파가 0.18-6.47 mg/g, 자색 양파가 2.39-6.47 mg/g 이었으며, 자색 양파가 평균 4.41 mg/g 로 흰색 양파(3.23 mg/g)보다 약 1.4배 높았다. 양파의 주요 성분으로는 Q34'diG 및 Q4'G 총함량 비율이 흰색 및 자색 양파에서 모두 약 85% 이상을 보였다. 【Flavonols as a major kind of plant secondary metabolites are known for health-promoting compounds in onions (Allium cepa L.). The objectives of this study are to determine profiles of flavonol glycosides in different 75 onion accessions. A total of five flavonols (quercetin 3,4'-diglucoside, Q34'diG; quercetin 3-glucoside, Q3G; quercetin 4'-glucoside, Q4'G; isorhamnetin 4'-glucoside, I4'G; quercetin, Q) were identified from onion accessions. In positive ion mode using LC-ESI-MS, individual flavonols were confirmed from one and two glycosylation binding with aglycone such as quercetin and isorhamnetin. Total flavonol contents were distributed in white onion (range of 0.18-6.47 mg/g DW) and purple onion accessions (range of 2.39-6.47 mg/g), respectively. The mean of flavonol contents in purple onion (4.41 mg/g) showed 1.4-fold higher than white onion (3.23 mg/g). The Q34'diG and Q4'G were considered as the major compounds of flavonol glycosides in onion accessions.】